Meet our New GRPD Officers!

September 10th, 2015

Our Clubs have had a longstanding partnership with the Grand Rapids Police Department, and we are happy to announce two wonderful new officers joining our Clubs this year. We thought we'd let you get to know them just a little bit better...

Officer Joshua Cudney

(Pictured left with girlfriend Ann)

Q) Tell us a little about yourself and background.

A) I am a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. I went to police academy at GVSU. I previously worked in Norton Shores on patrol for two years and have been with GRPD for the past 1.5 years. I am a member of the GRPD peer support team and an advisor for the GRPD Explorer Program. (Explorer Program is a youth program for kids ages 14-21 with an interest in law enforcement. We meet biweekly and cover various police topics. The kids can do ride alongs with officers and participate in a yearly state competition and explorer youth academy.) I also spent six years in the army national guard 1776th military police company as a sergeant and deployed once to Afghanistan where I worked in a detainee facility. I played high school football, soccer and swimming and diving. I enjoy reading, relaxing, going to the lake and beach, playing with my dog, staying fit and working on remolding my house.

Q) What are you looking forward to most about working at the Clubs?

A) Obviously, I look forward to working with the kids.

Q) Why do you think it is important to cultivate positive relationships with police officers and youth?

A) I think it is important to cultivate a positive relationship with police officers and youth to change perspective and to gain understanding. It’s good working with the kids to show them police officers are regular people who work in the community. I like showing the kids that I can be understanding, listen, can relate, make mistakes, apologize, laugh, crack jokes, play sports, show responsibility, show reliability, be honest, enforce the club rules and be respectful. Essentially, coming down to the kids level to provide them with an example of a positive role model while breaking down the walls, assumptions, and paradigms that the kids may have in relation to law enforcement, especially in the limelight of negative media and social groups opinion.

Q) What is your hidden talent?

A) My hidden talent is my love for old tv shows and movies, such as "I Love Lucy", "Hogan's Heroes", "The Lawrence Welks Show", "Twelve Angry Men", "The Fountainhead", and any Gary Cooper and James Steward film.

Officer Bill Moe

Q) Tell us a little about yourself and background.

A) I have been a police officer in the city of Grand Rapids for 25.5 years. Most of that time has been on patrol with a couple of years on the SRT/Neighborhood Patrol Unit (SWAT team), and one prior year with Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth back in the late 90s.

I have coached football, basketball, and hockey. The last 15 years or so since I began having children, I have just coached hockey.

I am married, and have two sons and a daughter who are very active in sports. My wife is a Grand Rapids Public School Teacher in the inner city.

Q) What are you looking forward to most about working at the Clubs?

A) Working on the proactive preventive side of police work rather then the reactive side. I look forward to cultivating positive relationships with the youth of all the Clubs.

Q) Why do you think it is important to cultivate positive relationships with police officers and youth?

A) For many of our members at the Clubs, and for a high percentage of inner city at risk children in America, the Police have always been portrayed as their enemy since day one based on what they have learned from their family and friends. The media has further hurt our police image in recent years with concentrating their news coverage on the few controversial arrests rather then the thousands of positive police contacts and arrest that occur each day in America. We police officers at the Clubs have the opportunity to prove our stereotype image as racist or uncle Tom's as completely false. We do care about the citizens we protect, and we can be positive role models to the children we serve. We can help change their lives for the better.

Q) What is your hidden talent?

A) I am a very good sailor and compete in the Chicago to Mackinaw Race each summer with my own boat and crew of eight.